lookin to bring the kids panfishin'

[simplefish]

Im bringing the girlfriend and the kids out tommorrow for their first time fishing. Actually the girlfriends been out w/ me a couple times (she still wont touch the bait or fish...) but the kids have never gone. Im also bringin a friend along who hasnt gone since he was 5.

Ive been pounding the local lakes (coon, linwood, martin, green in chisago and owasso) but other then green in chisago I havent been able to come up with anything that would keep an interest. And the fish there only did cause the girlfriend likes to watch em come in and take the bait down through the hole.

Anyone have any ideas on where to go around the coon rapids, anoka, champlin area? The fish dont have to be big but id like to take a few home so they can try my beer batter. Crappies, sunnies, wouldnt mind throwin a tip up out or trying for something a little bigger myself but the trips about the kids and my friend. Will spend most of my time taking off fish and rebaiting anyway. Hopefully. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Ive been lookin but no luck so far on a decent spot. Maybe Im just not lookin in the right places.

[metro fisherman]

Dude, you havent been getting a hot bite on Coon Linwood and Martin? Last weekend the 6" crappies were jumping through the holes on Linwood. At the deep hole in 36" FOW they were hammering euros on a small glow jig. Biting all the way to 10' deep as you go from deep toward the road (on the farther out reef). Coon was good all over for perch and sunnies, mid sized considering the lake, ive heard good crappie bites on it near dusk but I was on Martin at dusk. Steady action of a fish about every 5-8 minutes. they were all 7-9 inches. My cousin had a large crappie or eater walleye on for about a minute. Any more questions you can email me at mikehislop714 at msn dot com. I may be able to go fishing with you next weekend if are interested in some spots.

[simplefish]

My vex is on the fritz so I've been kinda had to go with the old school techniques of fishing the whole water column lol. but no not much for luck. fished mostly during the week. and only after work or on days i didn't have to.

I usually fish martin, i've found more and bigger crappies in there in recent years. the last couple years i haven't been able to put a pattern to em though.

linwood i've only tried as a last resort almost. i haven't caught a real decent crappie out of there in a while and it's always packed. but i have a couple spots from years ago along the western shore more for sunnies that i might check out.

as far as coon goes never really fished it for crappies till recently. most of the time i've gone there for a nice relaxing day of watching tip ups. but the past couple weeks i've tried it for pannies and have had mixed results. perch i've never even heard of a decent one come out of that lake.

i can find tiny fish all over. but i'd like to get a mix of something to fillet also. i think it would mean more to the kids to bring a couple home to eat. and i want beer batter! lol

Anyone ever fish Crooked lake? i've gotten some really nice fish out of there in the summer. and i know they stocked it with walleyes and catfish a few years back. was catching them in the spring on crappie jigs in the weeds right off shore.

thanks for the help. and if you ever wanna hit the ice hit me up lartermike at yahoo dot com.